In general, electronic components using a ceramic material, such as capacitors, inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, thermistors, or the like, include a body formed of a ceramic material, internal electrodes formed in the body, and external electrodes installed on a surface or surfaces of the body to be connected to the internal electrodes.
Recently, as electronic products have been miniaturized and become more multifunctional, electronic components have also become more compact and multifunctional, and thus, there has been increase demand for an electronic component having thin external electrodes.
An external electrode may be formed by applying a paste for external electrode formation, wherein in the paste for an external electrode, metal particles such as copper (Cu) are used as the main material, and a glass material is used as an auxiliary material. Since the external electrode contain glass, a delamination or aggregation phenomenon of the glass may occur, and thus, contact properties of the external electrode with internal electrodes may be decreased, and a defect such as blisters may occur, such that contact properties of the external electrode with a body may also be decreased.
Therefore, research has been conducted into an external electrode having improved contact properties with internal electrodes and a body having a small size and high capacitance.